Project Summary/Abstract: Administrative Core The strong nutrition, obesity and metabolism research base at UCSF is distributed today across 44 laboratories within three schools and 12 departments. The primary purpose of the UCSF NORC Administrative Core will be to ensure that all components of the UCSF-NORC are working in unison. This will be achieved by an administrative infrastructure that provides a mechanisms for ensuring the integration of cross-departmental, multidisciplinary research programs and shared research facilities, cohesion in educational/seminar programs and the coordinated facilitation of support for pilot research in emerging research areas. The Administrative Core will provide leadership, infrastructure, administrative support, advice and oversight to all UCSF-NORC operations and to the members of the UCSF-NORC community. The Administrative Core will supply the central support for day-to-day operation and will develop the NORC's long-term visions and strategies. It also will provide the interface to other NIH NORCs, to the NIDDK, and to the lay community. An efficiently operating Administrative Core will facilitate the goal of understanding, and developing new methods to treat, prevent and ultimately cure, the underlying causes and complications of health concerns associated with nutrition, obesity and metabolism. To achieve those aims, the UCSF NORC Administrative Core will: Facilitate and monitor progress within, and among, the NORC research thematic areas. Provide oversight of UCSF-NORC shared resources of special need for nutrition, obesity and metabolism studies to enhance the efficiency of human and basic research within the NORC. Support a Pilot & Feasibility Program to cultivate the development of new sustainable, research programs centered on obesity, nutritional and metabolism themes. Support an Enrichment Program that both provides research information and fosters collaborations within and among obesity- and nutrition-related research disciplines. Provide the organizational structure for effective mentoring of NORC investigators. Through its programs and services, the Administrative Core will thus bring together a community of investigators from interrelated disciplines to enhance and extend the effectiveness of nutrition, obesity and metabolism research at UCSF and beyond.